H79.2628 Lecture 4 Credits
Instructor(s): Schmidt
The goal of this course is to discover the expressive qualities of information. A powerful communication tool, information visualization is essentially a rhetorical device. Increasingly, we rely on interpretation to process the growing amount of information available to us, and by visualizing information, we are interpreting it. The Internet is becoming a rich source of information with the potential to impact our lives, on topics such as global and domestic politics, health, the economy, and the environment. This workshop explores the interpretive use of information visualization to create engagement and inspire action, by bringing these information sources to a mainstream audience. Students work on two information visualization projects, including a project using the collection database of the Museum of Arts and Design, and a project based an information source of their choice. Basic programming or action-script skills are required. The class is conducted as a design studio with bi-monthly critiques. It includes some seminar discussions and guest visits by experts in the design profession. All aspects of visual communication are addressed, with an emphasis on typography, layout, color, and motion. Students need not have any formal design training, but should come with a particular interest in and commitment to honing their design skills.
